A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to proteins which produce lower allergenic response in humans exposed to such proteins, and an assay predictive of such response. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel improved protein mutant which produces very low allergenic response in humans sensitized to that protein through exposure compared to the precursor of such protein mutant.
B. State of the Art
Proteins used in industrial, pharmaceutical and commercial applications are of increasing prevalence. As a result, the increased exposure due to this prevalence has been responsible for some safety hazards caused by the sensitization of certain persons to those peptides, whereupon subsequent exposure causes extreme allergic reactions which can be injurious and even fatal. For example, proteases are known to cause dangerous hypersensitivity in some individuals. As a result, despite the usefulness of proteases in industry, e.g., in laundry detergents, cosmetics, textile treatment etc. . . . , and the extensive research performed in the field to provide improved proteases which have, for example, more effective stain removal under detergency conditions, the use of proteases in industry has been problematic due to their ability to produce a hypersensitive allergenic response in some humans.
Much work has been done to alleviate these problems. Among the strategies explored to reduce immunogenic potential of protease use have been improved production processes which reduce potential contact by controlling and minimizing workplace concentrations of dust particles or aerosol carrying airborne protease, improved granulation processes which reduce the amount of dust or aerosol actually produced from the protease product, and improved recovery processes to reduce the level of potentially allergenic contaminants in the final product. However, efforts to reduce the allergenicity of protease, per se, have been relatively unsuccessful. Alternatively, efforts have been made to mask epitopes in protease which are recognized by immunoglobulin E (IgE) in hypersensitive individuals (PCT Publication No. WO 92/10755) or to enlarge or change the nature of the antigenic determinants by attaching polymers or peptides/proteins to the problematic protease.
When an adaptive immune response occurs in an exaggerated or inappropriate form, the individual experiencing the reaction is said to be hypersensitive. Hypersensitivity reactions are the result of normally beneficial immune responses acting inappropriately and sometimes cause inflammatory reactions and tissue damage. They can be provoked by many antigens; and the cause of a hypersensitivity reaction will vary from one individual to the next. Hypersensitivity does not normally manifest itself upon first contact with the antigen, but usually appears upon subsequent contact. One form of hypersensitivity occurs when an IgE response is directed against innocuous environmental antigens, such as pollen, dust-mites or animal dander. The resulting release of pharmacological mediators by IgE-sensitized mast cells produces an acute inflammatory reaction with symptoms such as asthma or rhinitis.
Nonetheless, a strategy comprising modifying the IgE sites will not generally be successful in preventing the cause of the initial sensitization reaction. Accordingly, such strategies, while perhaps neutralizing or reducing the severity of the subsequent hypersensitivity reaction, will not reduce the number or persons actually sensitized. For example, when a person is known to be hypersensitive to a certain antigen, the general, and only safe, manner of dealing with such a situation is to isolate the hypersensitive person from the antigen as completely as possible. Indeed, any other course of action would be dangerous to the health of the hypersensitive individual. Thus, while reducing the danger of a specific protein for a hypersensitive individual is important, for industrial purposes it would be far more valuable to render a protein incapable of initiating the hypersensitivity reaction in the first place.
T-lymphocytes (T-cells) are key players in the induction and regulation of immune responses and in the execution of immunological effector functions. Specific immunity against infectious agents and tumors is known to be dependent on these cells and they are believed to contribute to the healing of injuries. On the other hand, failure to control these responses can lead to auto aggression. In general, antigen is presented to T-cells in the form of antigen presenting cells which, through a variety of cell surface mechanisms, capture and display antigen or partial antigen in a manner suitable for antigen recognition by the T-cell. Upon recognition of a specific epitope by the receptors on the surface of the T-cells (T-cell receptors), the T-cells begin a series of complex interactions, including proliferation, which result in the production of antibody by B-cells. While T-cells and B-cells are both activated by antigenic epitopes which exist on a given protein or peptide, the actual epitopes recognized by these mononuclear cells are generally not identical. In fact, the epitope which activates a T-cell to initiate the creation of immunologic diversity is quite often not the same epitope which is later recognized by B-cells in the course of the immunologic response. Thus, with respect to hypersensitivity, while the specific antigenic interaction between the T-cell and the antigen is a critical element in the initiation of the immune response to antigenic exposure, the specifics of that interaction, i.e., the epitope recognized, is often not relevant to subsequent development of a full blown allergic reaction.
PCT Publication No. WO 96/40791 discloses a process for producing polyalkylene oxide-polypeptide conjugates with reduced allergenicity using polyalkylene oxide as a starting material.
PCT Publication No. WO 97/30148 discloses a polypeptide conjugate with reduced allergenicity which comprises one polymeric carrier molecule having two or more polypeptide molecules coupled covalently thereto.
PCT Publication No. WO 96/17929 discloses a process for producing polypeptides with reduced allergenicity comprising the step of conjugating from 1 to 30 polymolecules to a parent polypeptide.
PCT Publication No. WO 92/10755 discloses a method of producing protein variants evoking a reduced immunogenic response in animals. In this application, the proteins of interest, a series of proteases and variants thereof, were used to immunized rats. The sera from the rats was then used to measure the reactivity of the polyclonal antibodies already produced and present in the immunized sera to the protein of interest and variants thereof. From these results, it was possible to determine whether the antibodies in the preparation were comparatively more or less reactive with the protein and its variants, thus permitting an analysis of which changes in the protein are likely to neutralize or reduce the ability of the Ig to bind. From these tests on rats, the conclusion was arrived at that changing any of subtilisin 309 residues corresponding to 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 151, 136, 151, 152, 153, 154, 161, 162, 163, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 186, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 247, 251, 261 will result in a change in the immunological potential.
PCT Publication No. WO 94/10191 discloses low allergenic proteins comprising oligomeric forms of the parent monomeric protein, wherein the oligomer has substantially retained its activity.
The prior art has provided methods of reducing the allergenicity of certain proteins and identification of epitopes which cause allergic reactions in some individuals, the assays used to identify these epitopes generally involving measurement of IgE and IgG antibody in blood sera previously exposed to the antigen. Nonetheless, once an Ig reaction has been initiated, sensitization has already occurred. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of determining epitopes which cause sensitization in the first place, as neutralization of these epitopes will result in significantly less possibility for sensitization to occur, thus reducing the possibility of initial sensitization.
It is an object of the invention to provide a protein having decreased potential to cause allergenic response in humans compared to a precursor protein.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a protease variant which has useful activity in common protease applications, such as detergents and or the treatment of wool to prevent felting, in bar or liquid soap applications, dish-care formulations, contact lens cleaning solutions or products, peptide hydrolysis, waste treatment, textile applications such as anti-felting, in cosmetic formulations and for skin care, or as fusion-cleavage enzymes in protein production, which protease variant can be more safely used due to its lowered allergenic potential.
According to the present invention, a method for identifying T-cell epitopes within a protein is provided. The present invention provides an assay which identifies epitopes as follows: antigen presenting cells are combined with naxc3xafve human T-cells and with a peptide of interest. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method is provided wherein a T-cell epitope is recognized comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining from a single blood source a solution of dendritic cells and a solution of naxc3xafve CD4+ and/or CD8+ T-cells; (b) promoting differentiation in said solution of dendritic cells; (c) combining said solution of differentiated dendritic cells and said naxc3xafve CD4+ and/or CD8+ T-cells with a peptide of interest; (d) measuring the proliferation of T-cells in said step (c).
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a protein is provided in which a T-cell epitope is modified so as to reduce or preferably neutralize (eliminate) the ability of the T-cell to identify that epitope. Thus, a protein is provided having reduced allergenicity, wherein said protein comprises a modification comprising the substitution or deletion of amino acid residues which are identified as within a T-cell epitope. According to a preferred embodiment, an epitope is determined in a protein or peptide which, when recognized by a T-cell, results in the proliferation of T-cells which is greater than the baseline. That T-cell epitope is then modified so that, when the peptide comprising the epitope is analyzed in the assay of the invention, it results in lesser proliferation than the protein comprising the unmodified epitope. More preferably, the epitope to be modified produces greater than three times the baseline T-cell proliferation in a sample. When modified, the epitope produces less than three times the baseline T-cell proliferation, preferably less than two times the baseline T-cell proliferation and most preferably less than or substantially equal to the baseline T-cell proliferation in a sample.
Preferably, the epitope is modified in one of the following ways: (a) the amino acid sequence of the epitope is substituted with an analogous sequence from a human homolog to the protein of interest, i.e., human subtilisin or another human protease derived subtilisin like molecule such as furin or the kexins (see e.g., Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 244., (1994) pp. 175 et seq; Roebroek et al., EMBO J., Vol. 5, No. 9, pp. 2197-2202 (1986); Tomkinson et al., Biochem., Vol. 30, pp. 168-174 (1991); Keifer et al., DNA and Cell Biol., Vol. 10, No. 10, pp. 757-769 (1991)); (b) the amino acid sequence of the epitope is substituted with an analogous sequence from a non-human homolog to the protein of interest, which analogous sequence produces a lesser allergenic response due to T-cell recognition than that of the protein of interest; (c) the amino acid sequence of the epitope is substituted with a sequence which substantially mimics the major tertiary structure attributes of the epitope, but which produces a lesser allergenic response due to T-cell recognition than that of the protein of interest; or (d) with any sequence which produces lesser allergenic response due to T-cell recognition than that of the protein of interest.
In a specific embodiment of the invention, a protease variant is provided comprising at least one amino acid substitution at a position corresponding to residues 170, 171, 172 and/or 173 in BPN, wherein such substitutions comprise modifying residue 170 to aspartic acid, modifying residue 171 to glutamine, modifying residue 172 to methionine and/or modifying residue 173 to aspartic acid. In a most preferred embodiment, the substitution comprises modifying residues 170, 171 and 173 to aspartic acid, glutamine and aspartic acid, respectively.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for producing the protein of the invention having reduced allergenicity is provided. Preferably, the mutant protein is prepared by modifying a DNA encoding a precursor protein so that the modified DNA encodes the mutant protein of the invention.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, DNA sequences encoding the mutant protein, as well as expression vectors containing such DNA sequences and host cells transformed with such vectors are provided, which host cells are preferably capable of expressing such DNA to produce the mutant protein of the invention either intracellularly or extracellularly.
The mutant protein of the invention is useful in any composition or process in which the precursor protein is generally known to be useful. For example, where the protein is a protease, the reduced allergenicity protease can be used as a component in cleaning products such as laundry detergents and hard surface cleansers, as an aid in the preparation of leather, in the treatment of textiles such as wool and/or silk to reduce felting, as a component in a personal care, cosmetic or face cream product, and as a component in animal or pet feed to improve the nutritional value of the feed. Similarly, where the protein is an amylase, the reduce allergenicity amylase can be used for the liquefaction of starch, as a component in a dishwashing detergent, for desizing of textiles, in a laundry detergent or any other use for which amylase is useful.
One advantage of the present invention is that by measuring the proliferation of T-cells due to T-cell epitope recognition, it is possible to identify peptides which contain epitopes responsible for initially sensitizing an individual. That is, T-cell proliferation due to T-cell epitope recognition results in sensitization of an individual to that peptide or a protein which contains it. Neutralization of such xe2x80x9csensitizingxe2x80x9d T-cell epitopes will inevitably result in a greater degree of safety for those who handle or are otherwise exposed to the antigen containing the epitope because they will not be initially sensitized, thus preventing the production of Ig antibodies typical of an allergic reaction upon subsequent exposure to the antigen.
An advantage of the present invention is the preparation of proteins, including enzymes, which may be used with significantly less danger of sensitization for the individuals exposed. Thus, for example, the proteins of the invention may be more safely used in cosmetics such as face creams, detergents such as laundry detergents, hard surface cleaning compositions and pre-wash compositions or any other use of protein, including enzymes, wherein human exposure is a necessary by-product.